To make everyone aware, below is the internal memo released October 5th from Waterloo District School Board directing staff regarding Halloween this year. Please read it carefully and in full.
Halloween is a popular contemporary celebration with roots in both pagan and Christian cultures. The popularity of Halloween as a social event today however, does not negate the potential for its celebration to have an exclusionary and discriminatory impact. Halloween costumes, decorations and practices may (and have) cause harm to Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities through the appropriation of ceremonial dress, and the mocking of racialized identities & ethnoreligious groups etc.
It is important to recognize that Halloween costumes are not essential for learning. We are advising schools to avoid school-based Halloween celebrations including, but not limited to, decorations, costume day, distribution of treats and other expressions of this tradition.
We have a responsibility to provide safe, caring and inclusive learning environments, and we must all remain committed to fostering a school culture that is respectful of diverse identities, prioritizes human rights, Indigenous sovereignty, equity and identity safety. This requires a collective unlearning of social activities and practices of the dominant culture that can create harm, discriminate or further exclude marginalised identities.
In addition, Public Health recommendations are an important consideration as we continue to adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines in effort to provide a safe and healthy environment for all members of our school community.
Public Health Considerations
Disruptions to routines create potential safety risks.
Students who choose to wear a costume are still required to wear face coverings for health and safety in school, they should:
not wear a costume mask on top of their face covering
not remove their face covering and wear only a costume mask. A costume mask does not replace a face covering.
not wear make-up, from below the eyes to ensure their face coverings are not dirtied.
Equity and Inclusion Considerations and Requirements
Not all families celebrate Halloween, for many reasons including cultural, religious, socioeconomic and personal. Although this can be a great teaching opportunity to raise awareness of this cultural event among those unfamiliar with its origins, the spirit of inclusion also means respect for the decision of those who choose not to participate in these activities.
Families should feel assured that they can send their children to school without too much disruption.
If students choose to wear a Halloween costume to school, they should not be reprimanded unless the costume is discriminatory, representative of a person’s culture or religious beliefs, or violates the health and safety of other students.
For a more detailed understanding of this subject, we suggest LSPRIG’s campaign and an article from Everyday Feminism that both educate about cultural appropriation and Halloween costumes.
To reiterate, we are advising all schools to avoid school-based Halloween celebrations including, but not limited to, decorations, costume day, distribution of treats and other expressions of this tradition.
Let’s continue to create an environment where every child feels included, safe, valued, and treated with dignity.